


Coda

by razorsharpquill



Series: Reprise [2]
Category: Glee
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Episode Tag, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-01-06
Updated: 2011-01-06
Packaged: 2018-02-13 10:34:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2147460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/razorsharpquill/pseuds/razorsharpquill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If both parties had actually <i>asked</i> him to come, independently of each other, it wasn't Kurt being overeager or creepy or pushy, so Finn could just mind his own business.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coda

**Author's Note:**

> Companion piece to ['Reprise'](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2147436), from Kurt's POV; this will make MUCH more sense if you've read that first. I debated posting this, since Christmas is long past, but figured I could use the practice with Kurt's voice. Again, thanks to [](http://chasingkerouac.livejournal.com/profile)[**chasingkerouac**](http://chasingkerouac.livejournal.com/) and [](http://flyingcarpet.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://flyingcarpet.livejournal.com/)**flyingcarpet** for beta-reading and general support, :)
> 
> Originally written January 2011.

Technically, Blaine invited him first.

Granted, the invitation was sort of tossed in without much real thought, squeezed in between amusement and frustration at having to deal with Rachel as his duet partner. Blaine's texts were getting increasingly more alarmed, and Kurt couldn't quite help but find it highly entertaining that Blaine was losing his aura of calm control because of Rachel Freaking Berry, even if she had that effect on nearly everyone.

_She carries around sheets of star stickers. did you know this? very disturbing. **\--Blaine**_

_Isn't finn your step-brother? i sense an unhealthy obsession. **\--Blaine**_

_Really, how do you shut her up? there's got to be a way. **\--Blaine**_

_Oh my god, how fast can you get here with rope and a pair of scissors? **\--Blaine**_

_Nix the scissors. have decided not to cut all her hair off after all. pixie cut wouldn't suit her. **\--Blaine**_

_But you're coming for one of the shows, right? with rope and a gag, just in case? **\--Blaine**_

To Rachel's credit, she extended her own invitation shortly afterward, via email -- but Kurt wasn't sure how to take it, since Rachel couldn't seem to decide on an approach: demand his attendance like the diva she was, or wheedle him into providing a little moral support in her time of need.

( _"Don't come on the first performance, obviously, we'll still be working out the kinks. Come to the 9:00 show on the second night, by then I'll have a better idea if this boy is anywhere NEAR good enough. And maybe you should bring someone else along, too? I mean, it's a long drive, and I'd hate for you to be bored until we take the stage..."_ )

If Kurt hadn't already been tempted to make the drive out to Kings Island after helping Blaine rehearse, there was no way he'd be able to pass _this_ up -- so he called in Mercedes as back-up (and wingman, just in case Rachel needed distracting and/or cutting), and convinced his dad to extend his curfew by two hours so they could try to catch Blaine and Rachel after the show.

And if both parties had actually _asked_ him to come, independently of each other, it wasn't Kurt being overeager or creepy or pushy, so Finn could just mind his own business.

***

"Don't hate on the hat," Mercedes told him stoutly as they took their seats, and she tugged the garishly sequined Santa hat down rakishly. "'Tis the season, you know -- besides, Santa's not really a Christian thing, you can’t say I’m trying to convert you just by wearing a _hat_."

"The secularization and commercialization of your sacred holiday really doesn't bother you, does it?" Kurt deadpanned, though not without affection.

"Keep talking, Hummel," Mercedes scoffed. "I've got your present in the car for later, don't think I won't find a Toys For Tots bin if you keep pushing it. I bet there's tons of Tots who'd appreciate Marc Jacobs."

"Your threats are hollow, but far be it for me to rain on your holiday cheer," Kurt smiled. "Did it have to be _sequined_?"

"Yes," Mercedes grinned. "And you secretly think it's fabulous, don't even pretend."

"It's something," Kurt said dubiously, and tugged his scarf straight as the house lights dimmed for the start of the performances.

***

If he hadn't known ahead of time that Rachel was talented, watching her and Blaine might've been a bit depressing for Kurt. They played off each other beautifully, and it was hard to believe they'd only met less than a week before. Still, there were little things that Kurt knew to look for -- Rachel rocking back on her heels in an effort not to turn the tables and chase Blaine instead, or Blaine not quite leaning in to Rachel as close as he could near the end of the song. Kurt wasn’t certain, but he thought he recognized parts of the choreography, as if it mirrored what he'd done with Blaine in the Dalton common room, and he couldn't help but feel a little smug about that. Watching Blaine perform was always a pleasure, but now Kurt knew that was nothing compared to singing _with_ him. If Kurt briefly wished he were up there in Rachel's place, flirting blatantly with Blaine _in public_ \-- well, no one could really blame him.

Besides, he and Blaine were friends, and Kurt wasn't in any hurry to torpedo that particular friendship like he had with Finn. Finn might be his stepbrother now, and it had all worked out for the best -- but Blaine was _important_ , and Kurt couldn't afford to mess this up.

***

Kurt and Mercedes found the stage door without too much trouble after the show ended, and they didn't have long to wait before performers and stagehands started trickling out. Rachel and Blaine emerged together, and Kurt couldn't help but smirk a little at catching Blaine out of uniform, even with Dalton miles away and on holiday.

He didn't get a chance to say anything about the snug turtleneck in a particularly fetching shade of dark green, though, because Rachel skipped ahead, hips swaying as she broke into song -- and Kurt grinned as he recognized the familiar lyrics he'd just heard her belt out onstage not an hour before. He picked up the song without missing a beat, just as he knew Rachel was expecting, and met her drama for drama with a twirl and a dip that made her laugh, and had Mercedes rolling her eyes at them and grinning.

"You survived being onstage with Rachel Berry, rich boy, Kurt Hummel ought to be a piece of cake, now," Mercedes said. Kurt pulled Rachel upright and looked up to see Blaine smiling at him in amusement, Mercedes' compliments settling around his shoulders effortlessly. Kurt was getting pretty good at managing the jittery feeling in the pit of his stomach when Blaine smiled at him, but that didn't keep the butterflies from swarming, anyway.

"If I'd realized Rachel was your partner, I'd have armed you with duct tape and the original cast recording of _Funny Girl_ ," he said instead. Because rope wouldn't have done a bit of good when Rachel really got on a roll, and Kurt knew from prior experience that duct tape suited her so much better -- but Blaine didn't know that, not yet.

He was too busy grinning at Blaine to voice any objections to Mercedes' suggestion of a late dinner -- not that he _would_ , but she didn't have to add that little dig about his curfew. Still, he couldn't suppress a flash of surprise when Rachel pulled away to latch onto Mercedes instead, leaving Kurt and Blaine to follow behind. She shot Blaine an unreadable look over her shoulder, and Kurt shook his head slightly at Mercedes' matching 'please-god-get-her-off-me' expression.

If it gave him a few minutes to talk to Blaine without an audience, Kurt was going to feed her to the fame monster gladly.

"I'm totally going to steal that spin-and-dip move for tomorrow night, you know," Blaine announced, and Kurt had to glance over at him to see if he was serious.

"You have my blessing," he answered, willing himself not to flush. "You'll probably pull it off better, anyway. I don't know what you were so worried about."

Blaine's laughter punched straight through to his gut, and Kurt cursed the fluttering in his stomach as the other boy nudged him with one shoulder -- he really had to stop doing that, it was hell on Kurt's nerves. "I was right, you know," Blaine murmured, his voice low enough to give Kurt a pleasant little jolt. "You're way better than _that girl_."

Kurt suppressed a shiver, and for the first time in recent memory he hated his fair complexion as the color rose higher in his cheeks. "If you have any sense at all, you won't let Rachel hear you say that," he countered.

Kurt counted it a personal victory that his tone was appropriately appalled, and that he didn't completely embarrass himself with a goofy, besotted grin when Blaine laughed loudly enough to garner suspicious looks from Rachel and Mercedes. The corner of his mouth quirked slightly, though, and he lifted one innocent eyebrow at both of the girls -- neither of them bought it, he suspected, but it was the principle of the thing.

He'd pull off this whole friendship thing yet, even if it killed him. 


End file.
